A Case Study of Chinese EFL Demotivation among Senior Students in Business English Major in a Chinese Private University

Abstract

Learning motivation serves as a critical factor influencing second language acquisition (L2), functioning not only as a key driver in initiating but also in sustaining the language learning process. Adopting the perspective of "demotivation" in EFL learning, this study investigates the extent of demotivation among Chinese EFL learner. The participants included 100 senior Business English majors (BE major) students and 5 instructors from a private university in Guangzhou. Data were collected through questionnaires and audio-recorded interviews both conducted in Chinese. Quantitative data from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 27, while interview recordings were transcribed and examined using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that demotivation is widespread among Chinese EFL learner, with varying degrees of severity. Multiple demotivating factors were identified, including teacher-related, learner-internal, and peer-influenced factors. Among these, teacher-related factors emerged as significant contributors to motivation attenuation. However, these factors do not operate in isolation; rather, they interact intricately with learners’ internal factors (e.g., self-efficacy) and peer environments (e.g., negative peer culture) to form a generative system of demotivation. Based on these findings and considering the evolving demands of the new era, we proposed several pedagogical recommendations to sustain student motivation and reduce the occurrence of demotivation in language learning.